Roberto Mancini's men could be kicking off their game against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday a full 10 points behind rival United if Sir Alex Ferguson's men manage a victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford in the early kickoff.

Zabaleta recalls a similar scenario last season, though, when his team was eight points behind and still won the title for the first time since 1968, so the Argentine fullback isn't ready to hand the crown back to their Manchester counterparts just yet.

"We won the Premier League title because we believed in ourselves, now it’s the same," he told the Daily Telegraph. "We are under pressure and we cannot drop any points at the moment.

"If United beat Liverpool, then it’s going to be difficult for us. But we need to control the situation and keep calm. We can’t drop points and we must wait for United to drop some points."

Manchester City has dropped eight points in its last 10 games, with Manchester United dropping just three in that time. There are still 17 games remaining in the campaign, though, including the Manchester derby in April.